National Blog

Kid builds free library for Mother's Day, Town shuts it down

Your daily facepalm. Nine-year-old Spencer Collins of Leawood, Kansas decided to build a free library on his parents' property for Mother's Day. Unfortunately for the citizens of Leawood, the town is fighting back against the tyranny of free books. From Watchdog:

The concept is nothing if not quaint; think “take a penny, leave a penny,” except with books. While the initiative has been allowed to flourish unhindered in surrounding communities such as Prairie Village, Leawood has taken a strict stance against the matter. The issue isn’t the diminutive library’s existence, but rather its location.

City code starkly forbids any detached structure, “including garages, barns, sheds, greenhouses, above ground pools, or outbuildings.” The Collins would need to attach the storage box to their house to comply with the law, but that would also drastically reduce its current curbside visibility.